Hi ...
Good morning..
1 Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
If we have accepted JESUS CHRIST as our Savior & are the children of the most High God, we need to remember we no longer can do what we want to abuse this body for our vain pleasures. This body now is the 'temple of the Holy Spirit'. It's not our own!!
1 Corinthians 6: 19 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Many of us think this body belongs to us and we can do what we want with it. If we belong to Christ we are the Children of a God who is a HOLY GOD & we have no right to abuse or destroy this body by indulging in things that may harm our body.
Just note this verse..
1 Cor 3:17 "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
Yes we are to keep it Holy but the flesh is weak & so struggle in the area. Our selfish desires sometimes blind us to the fact that this body is not ours.
But The Holy Spirit will help in our weakness & intercede for us.
Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
The indwelling HOLY SPIRIT will give us life, He's our promise of eternal life from God.
Romans 8: 11 "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."
So...we need to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. THIS SACRIFICE HAS TO ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
Romans 12: 1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."
God wants us to sacrifice our bodies, laying aside our selfish desires as a living sacrifice to HIM.
Have we done that??
Are we willing to do it???
In the Old Testament animal sacrifices was practiced, but even then God made it clear, obedience was more important than any sacrifice.
1 SAMUEL 15: 22 But Samuel replied:
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
So we are to obey God. When we fail to do what HE wants us to do, we rebel & REBELLION IS SIN.
1 SAMUEL 15: 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king."
Rebellion is like the sin of divination (witchcraft) & Arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
"REBELLION" & "ARROGANCE" are serious sin, did you know that???
Saul was rejected as King because of these sins & his Kingdom taken away.
SO LET'S BE OBEDIENT OF GOD'S VOICE AND OFFER OUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
You know God always has GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, PERFECT Plans for us.
Why don't we give HIM our best???
We all have areas where temptations is strong and habits hard to conquer.
Habits like over eating also is abusing our body. We don't live to eat, but eat to live.
Habits like smoking, addiction to alcoholic drinks affect this body. If we say this Body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, how can we abuse it??
We cannot destroy this temple.
We need to remember...
1 Cor 3:17 "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
We need to seek God's help in areas we struggle & work hard to overcome this temptation & prevailing sin.
Let's give our bodies in a good condition to our Lord.
GOD DOES NOT ACCEPT BLEMISHED SACRIFICES.
I am just reminded of this passage in Malachi chapter 1.
Let's read it.
Blemished Sacrifices
MALACHI 1: 6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
"But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
7 "You place defiled food on my altar.
"But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible.
8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.
10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.
11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' 13 And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty.
"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD.
14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.
So let's not take God for granted.
How many times God shows us clearly some habits of ours are surely abusive and destroys our body.
How many times He's asked us to give it up and offer this body as a living sacrifice acceptable to HIM??
Have we been stubborn and rebellious??
It's time to turn from our wicked ways and sinful desires of the flesh that destroys this body.
We reflect God to our family and friends and those around. What image of God's character and attitudes do they see in us??
If we casually accept sinful pleasures and compromise with the world, HOW CAN WE PLEASE DOD???
WE ARE GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE, A HOLY GENERATION.
OUR GOD IS NOT A GOD OF CONVENIENCE.
It often takes hard work to live by God's standards but not impossible.
WHAT WE HAVE TO GIVE UP IS VERY LESS COMPARED TO ALL THAT WE WILL INHERIT..INCLUDING ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD.
If we are struggling with any habits that are slowly destroying our bodies,
~~1) We need to seek the HOLY SPIRIT'S help. We need to accept we have a problem with an addiction and be willing to let go.
~~2) Stay away form tempting situations and places.
~~3) Seek the help of fellow believers for prayer and support.
Let's not feel bad to confess our problem & reach out for help.
~~4) Be accountable to someone in the Body of Christ, who are willing to encourage us & pray with us.
OUR BODY BELONGS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.
I like what my pastor said the other day, "This body is not ours, Let's live by HIS rules & not violate it. I can't say 'it's my body, I can do what I want, it's my child, I can abort it' etc"
The Bible says in...
PETER 1:16 "for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear."
The Holy Spirit will help us. When He convicts us we are to be willing to let go of all that defiles our bodies.
HE WILL GIVE US STRENGTH TO OVERCOME EVERY SIN AND ADDICTION.
TRUST IN GOD.
So let us give no more excuses.
'Take all of me Lord...
Let me decrease and you increase..
In Jesus/Yeshua's Name
Amen'
Be blessed,
Julia
